Whose eden?: an overview of community approaches to wildlife management

This report presents an overview of literature on community approaches to wildlife management. These approaches are analysed in two main groupings: top-down and participatory. The focus is mainly on experiences gained in Africa, with a few illustrative case studies drawn from outside the region. The benefits provided by wildlife management are discussed in terms of use and non-use values. Use values comprise both traditional and non-traditional products harvested for consumptive use, and the various ecological functions provided by species and their habitats; non-use values consist of the value of wildlife as a cultural and heritage asset. It is argued in this report that the costs of wildlife management to different stakeholders vary considerably depending on the approach adopted. The report looks at differences between active and passive participation approaches to involve people in the process of wildlife management, which differ in terms of how involved local people really are in making decisions. Other issues raised include institutional capacity building at the local level, lack of legislation, and inappropriate policy frameworks. In conclusion, the report suggests that community wildlife management is likely to be sustainable ecologically, economically and socially only if wildlife management can be made sufficiently attractive to local people for them to adopt the practice as a long-term livelihood strategy. The Report also offers practical suggestions for project appraisals, project evaluations, and supporting community management of wildlife resources.